Lifestyle

Shirley Valentine is the story of a middle-aged woman who talks to herself, or the wall, as she considers her life. I watched it for the first time this week and had to pause and repeat a section to capture this intriguing quote…
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Several years ago, my husband and I took a retirement class. This was not one of those fancy dinners in an expensive steak house given by investment firms looking to solicit business, but an actual class taught through a university extension…
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The coronavirus has infected more than 22 million people in the United States, as of Jan. 10, 2021, according to a New York Times database. More than 373,000 people in the United States have died from this highly viral disease…
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When I first started public speaking, part of my training was the constant reminder that you only have 30 seconds to make a positive impression and grab the audience’s attention. That training was about 30 years ago, and the timeframe…
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n experienced singer walks onto the stage with the strong desire to elicit emotion from their audience. The best singers have an arsenal of techniques at their command. It is their job, in part, to make us feel something beyond our daily…
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I spent the last day of the year on my own, as I have been since March 11th and the arrival of this pandemic. Dramatically different to my usual holidays when I am visited by my children, their families, and a parade of friends and relatives…
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It took me 50 years to discover the power of a childhood friend. It all started when I was shipped off to sleep away camp in the summer of 1969 and met Betsy Brown. By 1975 we were already too old for camp. Would we still be friends…
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While 2020 was certainly trying for most of us, the Year of Covid can also be viewed as one that forced us to slow down and see our lives through a close-up lens. It shined a spotlight on what was working and also unmasked what…
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Your 70th birthday is a big one! I experienced it already, so I know. The inevitable question is, “What gift would you like?” It will come as no surprise that my first wish was to have my sons and grandchildren all together…
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At 78 years old, my friend Dee (not her real name) has just lost 45 pounds, is working on her teeth, finished writing three novels and countless short stories, and vastly improved her fitness. All under quarantine…
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